Combined letter-sheet and envelop.



No. 686,26I. Patented Nov. l2, 190i. A. COLLINS.

COMBINED LETTER SHEET AND ENVELOP.

(Application filed Jan. 28, 1901.)

(140 Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALVIN COLLINS, OF FOND DU LAC, l/VISCONSIN.

COMBINED LETTER-SHEET AND ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,261 dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed January 28, 1901. Serial No. 45,098. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Combined Letter-Sheet and Envelop, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention'relates to-improvements in stationery, the object being to provide a novel, useful, and attractive combination envelop and letter-sheet.

More particularly, the invention provides an envelop having united thereto one or more sheets of writing-paper and so constructed that when it is opened for the purpose of gaining access to the letter said envelop and letter will be in the form of a booklet and the envelop will form a front and back cover for the same.

In a pending application for patent which was filed October 6, 1900, Serial No. 32,292, a construction is shown embodying, broadly, the principle of this invention. The present construction, however, contains certain novel features which are absent from said pending application and which present distinct advantages over the construction shown therein.

In the construction set forth in the abovementioned pending application the envelop comprises a front section and an intermediate section secured together at one edge only and having the letter-sheet fastened between them. The intermediate section is inclosed by a removable back section, which is fastened only to the front section and which when detached leaves the article in the form of a booklet. In this construction one edge of the envelop is open, the letter being covered by the intermediate flap, and there is a chance, therefore, that this intermediate section can be slipped out of the open end of the envelop to expose the letter and afterward replaced without indicating that the letter has been tampered with. The present improvement aims to remedy this objection by providing an envelop that is sealed at all its edges, so that the chances of illicit examinationof the contents are reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, the construction and operation of the article and the manner of opening the envelop will be more readily understood. To the accomplishment of these and other objects the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification is preferred; but it will be understood that changes may be made provided they are within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the envelp-blauk and the letter-sheet placed thereon. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the several sections of the envelop folded in proper position and ready for sealing. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the envelop and letter completely sealed and in condition for transmission. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the resultant booklet formed by the opening of the envelop.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The improved article comprises an envelop (designated as a whole by the numeral and one or more sheets of writing material 11. The envelop 10 is preferably constructed substantially as follows: A rectangular front section 12 is provided, having at one of its ends a removable tab 13, and at the other end is arranged an intermediate section 14, coextensive in size with the front section and having at its outer or free end a removable tab 15. Side flaps 16 are provided upon the opposite side edges of the front section, said flaps being of the same length as the front section at their meeting edges and tapering toward their outer ends. The edges along which the removable tab 13 and side flaps 16 are connected with the front section are preferably provided with rows of perforations, as 17, and a line of perforationslS is also arranged along the connecting edges of the removable tab and the intermediate section 14. The removable. tab 13 is gummed, as is also the outer edge of one of the side flaps 16. The front and intermediate sections 12 and 14 are further more provided contiguous to their connected edges with perforations 19,which are arranged to aline when the sections are folded, as is hereinafter more fully described.

The material 11, upon which the letter is Written,is preferably in the form of cut sheets, one or more of which are used, according to the length of the letter Written. These sheets correspond substantially to the shape of the front and intermediate sections, but are slightly smaller, and each is provided con tiguous to one of its end edges with perforations 20, that are arranged to aline with the perforations 19 of the front and intermediate sections 12 and 14. v

In preparing the envelop for use the intermediate section is folded upon the front section so that their respective openings 19 will aline and the removable tabs 13 and 15 will be arranged adjacent to each other. The side flaps 16 are then folded and secured together by means of the overlapping gummed edge so that they will form a removable back section, which incloses but is disconnected from the intermediate section. The envelop will then appear in the form shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The letter is written upon the sheets 11, Which'are then inserted through the open end of the envelop, so that their openings 20 will aline with the openings 19 of the front and intermediate sections. Afastener, as 21, is passed through the several alined openings, whereby it will be seen that the front and intermediate sections and the letter-sheet will be secured together at one edge. The removable tabs are then secured together, whereupon the letter will be completely sealed within the envelop against inspection. It will also be observed that the tabs are located at one end of the envelop and beyond the adjacent side edge of the removable section. In other words, the tabs project from one edge of the envelop-body proper. The outer face of the front section 12 is used for the address and stamp.

To open the envelop, the tabs 13 and 15, which are now fastened together, are removed, and suitable directions for this purpose may be printed upon the same. The back section is also removed, whereupon the booklet will be formed as shown in Fig. 5, the front and intermediate sections of the envelop forming, respectively, the front and back covers of the same.

There are several important advantages in this construction. In the first place it will be observed that the envelop during transmission is sealed at allits edges, and thus completely incloses the letter against inspection. In view of the'fact that envelops, are ordinarily opened by tearing off one end it will be seen that this envelop also is opened in exactly the same manner, thus making the beginning of the opening operation the same as that usually employed.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction,operation ,and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an article of the class described, an envelop comprising a pair of permanent sections permanently united at one edge and provided at their opposite edges with removable tabs arranged to be secured together, leavingtheir side edges free, one of said sections being provided with flaps at its free side edges, said flaps being secured together to form a removable section-which is independent of the other permanent section, and a letter-sheet secured to the permanent sections at or contiguous to their permanently-united edges.

2. In an article of the class described, an envelop comprising a front and an intermediate section coextensive in size and permanently secured together at one edge, said sections being provided at their opposite edges with removable tabs secured together, flaps secured to the remaining edges of one of said sections and-joined together over the other section, thus forming a back section, a lettersheet arranged between the intermediate section and the front section, and a fastener securing both the front and intermediate sections and the letter-sheet together at one edge.

3. In an article of the class described, an envelop comprising a pair of sections per manently united at one edge and having removable tabs secured together at their opposite edges and of alength to equal the width of the permanent sections, and a removable section secured to one of the permanentlyunited sections and independent of the other, the tabs of said permanently-united sections projecting beyond the side edge of the removable section.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN COLLINS.

Witnesses:

WM. IRISH, DANIEL GILLIs. 

